Many different types of stone and organic materials have been favored over the years by sculptors. Marble, limestone, and sandstone were the most widely used in Medieval Europe for both sculpture and architecture. Typically, these stones were local to the region and easily obtained by the artist, making them cheaper than imported resources. Sometimes other organic materials like wood were also used. However, organic materials can not withstand natural weathering like stones and marble.
Many sculptors handpicked the stone from quarries. Large blocks were cut down and prepared by apprentices in the sculptors’ workshops. Master masons were very particular about their materials and might have begun working on several blocks until they found the perfect one for a project.
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- Right side rear of the Head of a Virtue
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- Simon Verity examining a block of limestone. photo by Jessica Pissini
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- Roman, Portrait of a Matron, 40 BCE. Marble. Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, NC. 1984.2.2
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- French (Auvergne), Virgin and Child Enthroned, 12th century. Polychrome on wood, 28 ½ x 11 ⅞ x 9 inches. Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, NC. The Brummer Collection, 1966.112.1
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- “Mason splitting a block of stone.” Sculpture: Processes and Principles. Rudolph Wittkower. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.
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- Splitting a block of limestone, photo by Jessica Pissini
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- Splitting a block of limestone, photo by Jessica Pissini
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- Splitting a block of limestone, photo by Jessica Pissini
